Which soundcard???? Your opinion, please.

  • Thread starter Thread starter musicsdarkangel
  • Start date Start date

Which soundcard fits best for quality/latency?

  • M-Audio Audiophile

    Votes: 14 23.3%
  • Yamaha DS2416 DSP Factory Soundcard

    Votes: 1 1.7%
  • Echo Gina

    Votes: 3 5.0%
  • Echo Darla

    Votes: 6 10.0%
  • M-Audio Delta 66

    Votes: 36 60.0%

  • Total voters
    60
I'm on the verge of getting a sound card. Since I don't have a credit card to buy online, I'm at the mercy of what ever the music store I'm going to has in stock. I've read the oposing opinions on all, and will use that as a foundation of choice. Now it'll be my luck that they'll have some sound card you guys didn't mention.
Oh well.
Anyway,,,,,
Up above, in an earlier post, someone said something about Pre-Amping the soundcards.
Fine.
I have a ART Tube MP. I use it with the band, mainly when I blow harps.
Ok, I have a preamp for the mic. Will this preamp work for a guitar as well?
I didn't quite understand the post up there concerning preamps. Is there a different preamp that would work better for guitars or can I use my ART Tube MP?
Thanx!!!!!!!
 
hey bad,

you can still find a soundcard online and pay with check or money order and have the soundcard delivered all without a credit card. but of course you have to have the cash to get it...which totally sucks...

how are you looking to use the preamp with a guitar? i'm using a preamp with my guitar to go straight into my pc....i'm using the OMNI STUDIO with preamps that have high impedence inputs for direct recording of guitar....with this set up , ReValver works kind of like a POD...if you're not familiar with POD, it's a processor for guitar with cabinet and micing emulation...ReValver does the same thing, only it's a plug in...

i'm using WDM drivers...i've been wondering if anyone is using ReValver with an ASIO program.
 
The Echo stuff, well... I don't want anything to do with it, nor will I ever. Honestly, I cant actually list reasons, but something about that stuff has given me the shakes for a long time.

I bought a Delta 44 in 1999. It was my first prosumer sound card and though it sounded a lot better than my standard issue pc soundcard I wasn’t impressed with the overall sound quality. I felt like I was settling with the Delta so I sent it back. I picked up a Darla instead. Boy what a difference! TubeDude, it’s funny that you say Echo gives you the shakes because it’s the same way I felt about Midiman/M Audio. I remember when the Audio-buddy was released and I squirmed at the thought of being lured into buying it by Guitar Satan’s lackies if I hadn’t done my research and bought the Tube MP for the same price. I only recently accepted that Midiman makes quality products as a result of the positive comments I have read on this board regarding the many happy owners of the 1010.
 
yeah, i heard the echo stuff has simply the best quality.

Does the Darla have preamps?
 
OMNI DELTA 66 STUDIO

I just got the Omni Studio package here in Munich. It is a sweet sounding card. At the moment I am recording a piece of shit acoustic no name with only a Dean Markley Pop In an play pickup, so I am not only hearing the quality of my instrument to say the least. This card sounds GREAT!!!! I am still having some problems getting things set up, but I am probably the exception to the rule rather then the rule, because I am not the greatest computer technician. And I knew NOTHING about high end Audio Sound cards before now. But judging on PURE sound, the pre-amps are amazingly great and the card is as fast as I ever imagined.

I must admit that it is cheap as HELL in America. I paid, $540 in a music store in Munich, and that was AFTER I had talked him down a couple of hundred D Marks. So be glad to be American.

Mike
 
ds2416

can anyone here tell me how good the Yamaha DS2416 soundcard is?? Because I just found a great deal on it, and want to know if it has good quality and if its pretty descent for straight computer recording.
 
Omni studio has break out box

DarkAngel, I am not as knowledgeable as the others who have posted here (I am still struggling to understand myself). But I think the Omni studio has the same sound card, it just has a break out box (input jacks) with mic pre (s) and some effects (?).

Which looks very attractive to me in that it would save me from having to crawl behind my computer every time I switch from mic to guitar (I think).
 
OMNI DELTA 66 STUDIO

Yes the OMNI is a "break out box" that has pre-amps, no effects, but it has effects sneds and returns. It takes the place of a small mixer. It also has TWO independent headphone jacks which comes in REAL handy. And it has a long enough cableing connecting the card to the OMNI that you can easily put it in a near by rack thus saving the trouble of "crawling behind" any computers. I packs a great amount of features into something that racks on a 1/2 rack. It even has clip lights, and really really really great pre-amps. Sounds GREAT!!! A bit cumbersom to set up in the beginning, but over all once it gets going, it will make you extremely happy.

Mike

PS... I just bought one.
 
just so you know,
i have the omnistudio package and learning to use it with the control panel it comes with, was like when i first started trying to record music with a computer.
do you remember the 1st time you hooked up whatever recording software you are using and tried to use it? did you pull almost all of your hair out?
while i am here, if anyone who owns the delta 66/omnistudio can try explaining to me how to have the control panel setup, id appreciate it.
if you didnt see my omnistudio threads and delta control panel threads, i asked this question before and was given responses, but it needs to be pounded into my head because i am coming off of using the SBLive platinum. where life was simple.
 
I second that emotion.

And while you are at it... PLEASE hook me up with the same answers. I have the EXACT same problems he is having. Man... if you figure it out... e-mail me... dolmetscherrecords@hotmail.com. In fact maybe you could send me your problems and we can put our heads together and see if some of my problems overlap yours and so on. Perhaps we have each others answers already.

Software?
Computer Specs?
Midi Interface?
etc...

Mike
 
DSP2416

I hardly see any comment on the DSP Factory. this confirms I made the wrong decision about getting one. It's quite expensive and doesn't give me what i need.

I think the latency is to high (32bit=63 ms.) and the fx session does not fully integrate in the VST environment. So I have to do several handlings b4 I can add an fx to a recording piece of audio. That's why i still use the VSt plugin fx. Downside to this is that when i add massive fx my system starts stuttering (AMD 1,4 Ghz and 512 DDR RAM).

The reason why I bought the card is that it would take the load of my system. Anyone interested in a DSP card with an AX44 breakout box?:D

Cheers,

Ryan
 
Em

Dolemite


Your links says $429.99 ????????? (see below). Do you know if this package has "midi?"


Em





M-Audio
Omni Studio
Product #701343



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Tell A Friend SAVE $269.96 (38%) When You Buy Today!
List: $699.95
Price: $429.99
 
I'm hurt.

I like my layla 24/96 and it was $1200 to $1300 for the comparable MOTU. I got mine for $750 and I am very happy with it. It does not have the on board signal meters but for $450. I can deal with that. As well it has been very reliable for me. I can not do a fair comparison because I have not used both, but I am happy:).

So much more has come to the main stream market the last year or so that there seems to be a couple less expensive choices that seem to offer about the same features.

Go to www.pcrecording.com and check out the charts. I do know when I was last there the specs on the Event/Echo stuff was at the top of the heap as far as THD and such went. The last I was there they had pretty good test charts, but it has been a while.


(I did not read this whole post only the first page or so so if I missed something I am sorry.)


F. S
 
Maybe this should be in a new thread...

Hi people, im thinking aout buying either the delta 44 or 66 but i dont know if it worth the extra cash for the s/pdif on the 66. is this the only advantage it has over the 44? Wtf is s/pdif used for anyway? Is it just a digital input for use with a MD recorder or what? Also, if i was to purchase the delta 44 or 66, they do have headphone outs on em right? I hope you can help me out peeps, u all sound pretty clued up on this biz an im pretty new 2 it all. Thanx MUCH

Shaz :d
 
i think it all depends on what you are planning to do when you record. i know the delta66 comes with a breakout box that has an output for headphones. it also has preamps built in to it. i sold mine on ebay a while ago and replaced it with the delta 1010.
i should have bought the 1010 from the start, then i wouldnt have had to go through the upgrade. the 1010 comes with the same control panel in the software, which can be aggravating at times. but once you have it setup correctly, you dont have to worry about it anymore.
anyhow, think about how you are going to use your system. (recording yourself, a whole band, 1 or more instruments at the same time, if you are going to need preamps for mics, etc.)
im not sure about the spdif, but i havent had to use it for anything. nor have i had to use the optical inputs either.
 
I also have the c-port.Here are their specs...

DSP2000 C-Port
The DSP2000 C-Port system is a high quality 24bit/96kHz multi-channel recording package representing the latest technological advances in digital recording for the home/studio PC. The unit ships as a complete audio/MIDI, hardware/software solution in one package. The system delivers outstanding performance never seen before at such an affordable price.

The package comprises of an ultra high quality 24bit/96kHz PCI host card (DSP24), the XG-DB I digital expansion daughter board bracket, the ADC&DAC2000 external converter unit (19 inch standard format), and a powerful recording software application developed by Emagic (Logic SoundTrack 24).

By housing all converters externally in the full size rackmountable chassis, your recordings are captured with absolute pristine transparency. Full 24bit/96kHz bandwidth with full duplex operation is available over 10 simultaneous inputs and outputs.

The kit comes packed with all the I/O options you need right out of the box - eight analog inputs, eight analog outputs, two optical & coaxial S/PDIF + AES/EBU I/O channels all at 24bit resolution. It also comes with a one in - two out (32 channels) - MIDI interface and a headphone output with separate volume control. Two of the eight analog inputs on the ADC&DAC2000 include XLR balanced connectors and feature independant quality microphone pre-amplifiers with gain controls and switchable phantom power. This eliminates the need to incorporate a separate mixer in many situations. You can plug in an instrument or microphone, set the gain levels and start recording immediately! This makes the package a completely self-contained, fully featured hardware interface for all aspects of home studio recording. With the included Logic SoundTrack 24 software package from Emagic, this solution is the perfect place to begin building your studio.

Because the DSP24 with ADC&DAC2000 is an integrated system featuring both hardware and software, there is no need for concern over compatibility issues. Everything has been designed and tested as a complete solution.

Excellent driver support is available including Windows 9x/Me, 2000/XP, ASIO 2.0 and multiclient-GSIF. The included ASIO 2.0 drivers of the DSP24 card support 2ms latency at 96kHz and 5ms at 44.1kHz with recomended buffer sizes (or even lower values under Windows 2000/XP on fast systems). This means for users of modern software synthesizers (such as GigaStudio or VST-/DXi-Plugins) that you can play your sounds now in realtime, even using realtime effects (like DirectX- or VST-plugins).

The DSP24 card is of course compatible with all today's latest applications including Logic Audio, Cubase VST, Cubase SX, Nuendo, Cakewalk SONAR, Samplitude, Cool Edit, Acid, Vegas, etc. - It's very simple to install and use and makes a great choice for you to build a home studio around.

The main PCI host card (DSP24) can be connected to multiple external interface boxes simultaneously allowing other options for ADC & DAC conversion, ADAT & T/DIF connections, or multiple input digital connectivity. In addition to all this flexability, up to three additional DSP24 PCI host cards (4 in total) can be installed in the same system! This allows for an amazing 40 channel I/O!

As you can see, unlike other systems, this package is extremely flexible and can expand to meet the needs of your future requirements.

Specifications
Features:

10 x 10 24-bit/96kHz 100% Full-Duplex recording path support

2 x balanced (XLR) inputs with built in pre-amps (-24dB to +50dB) & switchable phantom power (48V)

2 x balanced (XLR) outputs

8 x 1/4" unbalanced inputs

8 x 1/4" unbalanced outputs

coaxial and optical & AES/EBU I/O connections as standard

stereo headphone output with volume control (1/4" connector)

2 x 16 channel (32 channels) MIDI interface ports provided (2 outputs, 1 input)

peak LED for channel 1&2

up to four PCI cards can be sample accurate sync linked (40 channel I/O)

internal or external sync supported (external can be set via the S/PDIF input)

44pin H-BUS interface connector available

22kHz~99kHz frequency rates supported

direct monitoring for input signals (zero latency, by hardware)

internal mixing, routing and monitoring software provided

Logic Soundtrack 24 (24bit/96kHz powerful recording software from Emagic)

drivers for Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP, ASIO 2.0 (typical latency can be lowered to 2ms or lower), multiclient-GSIF (GigaSampler/-Studio)

Controller Chip & Converters:

ADC&DAC2000 external rack uses AKM AK4524 ADC/DAC (24bit/96kHz, 100dB S/N ratio a-weighted) converters on all stereo inputs and outputs

DSP24 host card uses the IC Ensemble Envy24 I/O controller chip (ICE1712)

DSP24 internal I/O for standard windows system sounds (mini-jacks on card) uses SigmaTel STAC97xx 18bit AC-97 Codec (ADC & DAC) 95dB output S/N ratio (a-weighted)


Please contact your local distributor for informations about pricing and availability!

Additional Options

ADC III, 8ch (24bit/96kHz ADC, rackmountable, 8ch XLR balanced analog inputs, 8 mic-preamps, phantom power, S/PDIF 8ch outputs, 120dB dynamic range)

DAC III, 8ch (24bit/96kHz DAC, rackmountable, 8ch XLR balanced analog outputs)

DM III, 8ch (8kHz ~ 100KHz 24bit/120dB modulation, 4 S/PDIF and AES/EBU inputs, rackmountable)

DS2000 (ADAT- & TDIF-I/O interface, rackmountable)

optional 5m H-BUS cable (44pin D-SUB to 44pin D-SUB) to replace the default 2m cable


Reviews
The well known Electronic Musician magazine has published the first ST Audio DSP2000 C-Port review in a US print magazine (june 2002): "The C-Port is certainly one of the best digital-audio interface values today." / "Sound quality is superb: quiet, with clear highs and quick transients (...) " / "I wouldn't be surprised to see this product quickly become one of the most popular audio systems in the Windows music world." - you can read the complete article here. The unit received 4.5 out of 5 points in the final result.


The german c't magazine writes about our DSP2000 C-Port system in their issue 11/2002: "With a Signal-to-Noise-Ratio of -110dB and a dynamic range of -99.6dB, the combination of the DSP24 and the ADC&DAC2000 is the leader in these areas."


In early 2001, Shannon O'neil reviewed the ST Audio DSP2000 C-Port in the australian Next Music magazine: "The C-Port is by far the best value for money sound card I've yet seen. " / "I'm so impressed with C-Port that I'm planning to buy one." - you can check the text here. The unit was rated with 95% (Overall Rating).


In july 2001, the british Sound On Sound magazine (John Walden) reviewed the ST Audio DSP2000 C-Port: "There is no doubt that Hoontech's Soundtrack Audio DSP 24 and ADC/DAC2000 system provides a very flexible range of I/O configurations. The drivers appear to be very suitable for use with software synths and samplers."


The international online magazine pcrecording.com has tested the ST Audio DSP2000 C-Port: "Hoontech has put together a winning combination with the AudioDSP24 and the ADC/DAC 2000" - you can read the complete article here. Please note that a new revised manual is available in the meantime (check the PDF-file on the download page) - also the knobs used for tightening the D-SUB cable connectors have been improved.


The DSP2000 C-Port was rated as best card in the test (soundcards over 300 DM) in issue 10 / 2001 of germany largest and most popular computer two-weekly magazine ComputerBILD. The huge number of special features of the products outweighted all other cards in the test.

The german magazine KEYBOARDS has tested the DSP2000 C-Port in their issue 07/2000 with very good results: "Hoontech's SoundTrack Audio DSP 2000 is a very uncomplicated card with simple routing and stable software."

The Dutch magazine Interface did test the DSP2000 C-Port system in their issue 46 (oct / nov 2000). Especially the soundquality but also the very stable drivers and the microphone preamps have been rated as big plus by the editor.

The german magazine PC Direkt rated the DSP2000 C-Port system as very good (issue 04/2000) - giving it it the highest score of all recording cards in the test! They especially liked the high flexibility of the system.
 
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